About

Through the Wren

$10,316

pledged of $10,000 goal

89

backers

Through the Wren is an immersive theatre experience where twelve audience members journey through a parallel world inspired by Gothic Romance and Dark Fairytales.

Upon your arrival at Galloway Manor, you become a house servant; surrounded by a crumbling, yet lush English estate. Your exploration and curiosities unveil the manors' darkest secrets and sweet reveries.

In our story, there are four main interwoven narratives. This guided experience gurantees one complete story arc; connecting you intimately to one of Manor's residents.

As you read love letters, drink house-made concoctions, rummage through suitcases, and peruse through drawers, you will notice Grimm’s Brothers influence in character archetypes and tone. Our story also defies preconceived conventions of the genre by having a LGBT Gothic Romance at its center; giving the piece a classic, but modern feel.

We are proud to be working alongside some unbelievable collaborators— spatial and interactive designers Jae Lee and Yvonne Chang, founders of Wildrence LLC; an off-Broadway event space on the lower east side. They will be lending their Cornell Architecture and immersive expertise to create an enviornment that is dreamlike yet in keeping with Gothic Aesthetic.

We want to create an experience that will enamor all the senses; which was why music was also an integral puzzle piece to this work. To help make this possible, we brought on Broadway composer Barbara Anselmi for original music, accompanied with musical styles of the era.

We also want to show you, our backers, original artwork by Ilich Henriquez- helping to illustrate our bigger concept for the show, and how we imagine it as it develops.

Victor & Damian - artwork by Ilich Henriquez

Viola & Ember - artwork by Ilich Henriquez

How far we've come...

This show has undergone many iterations, with its origins in haunted house experiences created by Jake Ruhl. In 2015, a version that would be the seed of Through the Wren emerged (of a different title), rather than the traditional yearly haunt. Instead, Jake gutted an entire garage, and fashioned eight black tents into the inside of Galloway Manor; together with sound design, costumes, props and furniture. It was at that time that his collaboration with Melody Rodriguez commenced, and together they would create the rich story you have before you.

Your generous donations, and the world of Galloway Manor...

We would love to open the doors of Galloway Manor but we need your help. This campaign will help open the piece for a limited preview run in October, with hopes of an extension.

We would like raise $10,000. Your generous donations will help us create a rich enviornment; with Victorian set pieces for each of the four narratives; including an "outdoor" space inside, a magical boudouir, hidden spaces, and a sensory specfic world. These funds will also help us compensate our amazingly talented cast and crew, from pre production into previews.

Risks and challenges

While every project comes with its challenges, we have always "made it work"... In fact, it's a term we've adopted since the show opened its first iteration in 2015; where sets were built from tents and sets made possible by thrift stores. Even up until this point, we have curated this entire project to fuition, and have engaged some unbelieveable artists and collaborators in the process.

We are more than confident to bring this show to life with the right support; however as is with all live performances, there could be unforeseen delays, changes, or cancellations due to extenuating circumstances. Our hardworking team always makes the best of every situation, so we look forward to presenting the best show possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $200 or more
About $200

8. The Grand Tour

All of the above excluding Rewards 5-6, plus an invitation to a dress rehearsal where you can see our multi-sensory and immersive creative process unfold. This will be followed by a tour of the lucious walls of Galloway Manor.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

9. Creating the Wren

All of the above excluding Rewards 5-6. This features an exclusive talk discussing inspiration for the show by a member of the creative team. This talk will occur before the invited dress as seen in Reward #8.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $750 or more
About $750

11. The Message Box

All of the above excluding Rewards 5-6, & 10, Plus a Victorian jewelry box which holds a secret message and magical trinkets. Inside, there will be a note that unlocks an exclusive one-on-one experience not seen in our show.*

*Exclusive One-on-Ones will take place on pre-selected show dates prior to start time of the show.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,500 or more
About $1,500

13. Welcome to the Family

All of the above excluding Rewards 5-6, 8, and 11-12, As a member of the esteemed Galloway family, a Custom Portrait by the Show's Illustrator shall be placed in the estate's Portrait Corridor. You will also receive a High Quality Digital Copy of this portrait. As a member of the Galloway Family, you will also be given our highest honor as a Galloway Producer along with 2 Reserved Tickets to a show of your choosing.